Vacuum sealing apparatus.



Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

5 SHEETS- SHEET l.

@Mountain *ii cie c E E E. NORTON.

VACUUM SEALINGAPPARATUS. APPLlcATloN FILED FEB.12.1914.

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vAcuulvl SEAMNG APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FlLED =FEB. l2. 19,14.

Mm Patented Apr. 3o, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E.v NORTON. VACUUM SEALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION ElLED FEB.12. I9I4.

Patented Apr, 30, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3^- E. NORTON.

VACUUM SEALIING APPARATUS.

i APPLICATION EILED FEB. l2. 1914.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. NORTON.

VACUUM SEALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.12.I914.`

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

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:EDWIN NORTON, 0F PAGET WEST, BERMUDA, ASSIGNOR'TO PERFECT UACU'UM CANNING- COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MINE. v

Specicationof Letters Patent.

intenten am. ao, raie.

Application filed February 12, 1914. Serial No. 818,378.

To all whom 'it may'co-nccrn:

lie it known that I, llnwIN Non'roN, a citizen of the United States. residing at Cedar Lodge. Paget YVest, Bermuda, have in,

vented certain new and useful improve# ments in Vacuum Scaling Apparatus, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon. Y

The invention relates to new and useful ,improvements in machines for closing cans 0r containers. and more particularly tomaclnnes wh-creln the a1r 1s exhausted from the 'containers prior to the final sealing of the same.`

Anobjcct of the invention 1s to provide an apparatus or machine of the above character. wherein the cans or containers to be closed are presented to a vacuum creating chamber which is caused to engage only the upper end or cover of the can or container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character with ber is cut. o' from the vacuum forming appara-tus except when a can to be closed 1s placed underneath the hea-d carrying the vacuum chamber.

These andother objects -will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention,-

Figure 1 is a plan view, with the parts broken away, showlng a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the essential-operating parts of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end view, showing the frame and more or less diagrammatically certain of the parts of the machine. y

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail, showing the train of mechanism for raising. and lowering the closing heads and for controlling the vacuum pipe which is connected with the various vacuum chambers on the several heads. l

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the machine and through one ofthe closing heads.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail showing in section one of the closing heads andalso in section the valve for controlling the vacuum chamber.

F ig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section, showing a portion of the closing head in contact with a can body to be closed.

Fig. 8 is a similar View, showing the can body closed and the closing head raised therefrom. A

Fig. 9 is a sectional view, showing a slightly modified form of the solder applying means.

The invention consists generally in providing a closing machine for closing cans which are put under vacuum, and consists of a closing head which has a movement relative to the can to be closed. This closing head is provided with a casing forming a vacuum chamber which is adapted to contact only with the cover or upper end of the can.V The lower end of the chamber is formed with an elastic bell-shaped member, whereby the atmospheric pressure on the outer surface of said bell-shaped member assists in maintaining a` perfect joint between said member and the can end.

rlFhe device further consists of mechanism wherein the chamber is placed under a vacf uum after it is connected with the canor container, and this mechanism includes au* tomaticall)7 operating devices which cut ofil lthe vacuum before the vacuum chamber is moved out of Contact with the can end. The

tipping iron extends through this vacuum u chamber and is so operated as to close an aperture in the canend through which the can is placed under vacuum. Devices are also preferably provided for preventing the opening of the vacuum chamber to the vacuum creating device unless there is a can or container in engagementwith the vacuum chamber. This lfeature is of especial advantage in a gang machine. -v

Referring more in detail tio the drawings, .l have shown the invention as applied to ing frame 1, which carries a table 2. The

table 2 is formed with an extension 3, and an endless conveyer 4, having spacing fingers 5, operates tol slide the cans to be closed alongl the talble and the extension 3. This lendless conveyer runs over suitable sprocket wheels 6 and 7 mounted in bearings in the table and operated through intermediate gearing by a gear wheel. 8, carried by a shaft 9, which is operated by a belt Wheel 10. The machine includes a plurality or a gang ofclo'sing heads which are indicated in a general way by the reference numeral 11. The cans to be closed are placed on the taJb'le 2 between the Vretaining fingers 5 on the endless conveyer 4 andare moved along inthe direction of the arrow indii cated in Fig. 1 and are finally brought to a position infront of the gang closing machine. As herein shown, there are twelve closing heads. When the conveyer reaches a point so as toV properly position twelve cans for closing, a feed slide 12, consisting of upper and lower members, see Fig. 5, is moved against the twelve cans simultaneously and these are slid underneath the The upper and lo'wer members of thisfeed slide are connectedv to rollclosing heads.

ers 13, which extend through the work supp'ort and engage switchfcams 14. The feed slides are moved along the switch cams by a rock arm'15, which is pivoted at 16 to the `work table and is -oscillated by Ia disk 17 l n carrying a crankpin 18, running in a cam slot 19 1n the arm. This disk 17 is rotated from 'the main shaft 9 beneath the work f l from underneath the closing heads by recip-` table. This mechanism moves the feed slide forward with the cams underneath the closing head and a continuous movement of the ldisk 17, through the cooperation of the switch cams,'retrac`ts the feed slides in a manner fully described in said` patent.

After the cans are lclosed they arev removed rocating fingers 20. There is a finger for each closing head and thesel fingers work through slides 2l in the work table. The `lingers are carried by a bar 22, which is attached to a rod 23, the latter being adapted to slide in suitable bearings 24 and 25. Said rod is attached to an oscillating lever 26 which is rocked upon the main shaft. The' forward end of the rod23 is provided with a roller 27, which coperates with a swltch cam 28, and as the rod moves toward the' switch cam, so that the fingers are not raised.

above the table on their return stroke. Suitable guides 29 are provided for spacing the cans and holding the same in proper relation to the closingl heads. When the cans are removed from underneath the closing heads they are brought into position to be engaged by the endless conveyer 30, which is provided With spacing fingers 31. This endless conveyer runs from suitable sprocket wheels which are driven by beveled gear wheels 32 connected to a beveled gear wheel 33 on the shaft 9.

The main frame 1 is provided with standards 34 at each end and these standards are connected by a cross-bar'35, which has a downwardly projecting supporting plate 36. The closing heads, as above stated, are twelve in number, as herein illustrated. It is understood, however, that this number of closv ing heads may be increased or decreased andfrom certain aspects ofthe invention a single closing head may be used. A description of one of these closing heads will answer for the others as they are each similar in construction. Each closing head, as shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive,- consists of a supporting rod or stem 37. This rod or stem is mounted to slide in the cross-bar 35. The rod'or stem 37 carries a sleeve 38 at its lower end, and this sleeve is mounted to slide in the supporting plate 36. The sleeve 38 is formed with a section 39 which fits the stem or rod 37. A threaded collar 40 screws into the upper end of the sleeve and forms an air- -tight joint between the sleeve and the rod.

The rod is also formed with an enlarged section 41, which provides a shoulder 42 on which the section 39 of the sleeve rests. A spring 43 bears against the upper end of the collar 40 and also engages a collar 44 fixed to the rod 37. This sprin normally tends to separate the collar 44 an the collar 40 and thuspulls'the shoulder 42 yieldingly into contact with the section 39 of the sleeve.

The' lower end of the rod 37 is formed into a tipping iron 45 which is preferably electrically heated. This tipping iron is for the purpose of 'closing;the aperture in the can ,or container through which the air is exhausted from the can. The sleeve 38 belowr the section-.39 forms a vacuum chamber.

A glass or porcelain extension 46`is clamped to the lower end of the sleeve'by a surround ing cage 47. Said extension 46 has a shoul- 'der 48 against the lower face of which rests anelastie bell-shaped mouth piece 49. This bell-shaped mouth piece and the porcelain extensionlare clamped between sections of the cage 47, 'as clearly shown in' lBigs.

7, 8 and 9 ofthe drawings, and thecage has a threaded connection 514 at its upper. end with the sleeve 38. The.

cage has outwardly extending parts 52 which are adapted to engage the upper end of the can body and limit the downward movement of the sleeve when the rod or stem 34 is moved downwardtofbring `the closing head mto contact with the cover or can end.

- The bell-shaped mouth piece of elastic ma terial projects below this cage and will first engage the cover so that the downward movement of the closin head presses said elastic bell-shaped mout ,piece tightly into contact with the cover or end ,-of'the can.

This ta-pered or bell-shaped elastic mouth piece will be held firmly into Contact with the cover or end not only by the downward pressure' of the closing head, but also bythe atmospheric pressure on the outer thin edge whenthe chamber is placed into vacuum.

The sleeve 38v is provided with a port 53 through which the air is exhausted from the vacuum chamber and from the canor container. This port is connected with a,short rigid pipe 54 in which is located a valve controlled by an arm 55. The arm- 55 is connected with a rod 56 which slides in a bracket arm 57 attached tothe sleeve38. A spring 58 surroundsthis rod 56 bearing at one end against the bracket 57 and at the other end y When the closing head is moved down onto a can, the rod 56 will engage the end of the can, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, and the raising of therod will swing the arm 55 so as to open the valve controlled thereby and thus connect the vacuum chamber with the vacuum creating means.

There is a flexible pipe 61 which connects each closing head with a cross-pipe 62, see Fig. 1. This cross pipe 62 is fixed to the frame and isconnected with a valve casing 63, in which is located a three-way valve64. The valve casing 63 is connected to a pipe 65 and to a suitable vacuum creating pump.

, 4The valve 64 is formed with ports 66, 67 and connected with the vacuum creating means. An oscillation of the valve 64, so as to bring the port 66 into connection with' thetlexible pipe61, will also bring the port 67 into connection with a port 69 in the valve casing 63 which leads to the atmosphere. This turning ot the valve also moves theport 68 out of register with thepipe 65, and theresult of this manipulation of the valve is to cut ofi' the Hexible pipes from their connection with the vacuum creating means and also to connect each flexible pipe through the port 69 with the atmosphere.

The valve 64 has an arm 70 which'is attached thereto for oscillating the valve. This arm is connected to a rod 71 which is guided by a bracket arm 72. The lower end of the rod 71 carries a roller l73 which runs in a cam groove 74 formed in the side tace of the gear wheel 75. This gear wheel 75 These rods are provided with suitable rollers 82 which coperate with a cam-groove 83 in gear wheels 84 mounted at the respective endsof the main frame. The ear wheels 84 mesh with the gear wheels 7 Each of the rods or stems of the closing head are provided with a sleeve 85 which is journaled in the cross-head 79. Each sleeve is also provided with a gear wheel 86 and these gear wheels intermesh. The gear wheel86 at one end of the closing head meshes with a driving gear 87, carried by a vertical shaft 88, which is rotated by a beveled gear 89 connected to a beveled gear 90 on thev shaft 9. This gear: wheel 86 meshing with the driving gear 87 slides thereon 1n the well-known manner. Through this connection each rod or stem 37 is rotated which gives a rotating movement to the tipping iron. lt is obvious, however, that this rotating movement of the tipping iron may be dispensed with, if desired,l and the tipping iron merely reciprocated longitudinally.

The sleeve 85 has a passage centrally located therein, through which an insulated wire 91 passes for making the proper electrical connections for heating the tipping iron. The other terminal of the electrical connection may be grounded through the machine. This wire 91 is connected with a contact washer 92, which has face contact with a washer 93. The washer 93 is connected by a wire 94 with a suitable source of electric current and this washer 93 is held from rotation in any suitable way. A collar 94 clamped to the sleeve 85 supports the head 79 reciprocates, all of the closing heads will be simultaneously raised and lowered therewith. In order to counterbalance to a 'certain extent Othe weight of the closing heads. the vsprings 95 may be provided which are piacedbetween the cross-head 79 and the upperbearing 81 for the supporting rods 80. lhe''operation of my devlce is as follows: A series of cans, indicated as A, are placed underneath the cross-heads, as shown in Fig.l .2 of "the drawings. second series of cans B are ready to be moved'under `the closing heads as soon as the cans underneath the closing heads have been closediand removed therefrom. In this ligure of the drawings,r I have also shown a third'series `of cans C which have been closed and are moved onto the conveyer for carrying the same away from theclosing heads. ,When the cans are placed underneath the closing heads, -each head is in the position shown in Figs. ,Gfand 8, that is, with' the cross head 7 9 raised. The operating cani groove 83 is formed with a concentric portion which holds the cross-head raised a considerable time so as to permit the cans to be fed underneath the closing heads. The gear wheel 84, having the cam groove'therein rotates in the direction of thearrow in Fig. 4, and this will rotate the gear wheel 7 5 in the opposite direction, that 1s, in.a clockwise direction, as viewed in this figure.-

After the cans have been placed under the heads the cross head is lowered by the eccentric part of the groove 83 and as the cross-heads are lowered the rods o r stems 37 are -moved downward in their bearmgs. The

first downward movement of each closing head causes the rod 56 to engage the can end. If there is only one under the closing head it raises the rod and opens the valve controlled by the arm 55. The valve 64 is at this time closed. A further downward movement of the closing head brings the elastic bell-shaped mouth piece into contact with the cover or end of the can and as the closing head continues its downward movement this elastic member will be pressed firmly against the cover or can end. As soon as the Idownwardly projecting parts 52 ofv the cage 47 engage the cover or can end, the

downward movement of the sleeve 38 'ceases and the spring 43 will be compressed -permitting a. further downward movement of the rod or stem 37, which forms the tipping iron. As soon as 'this downward movement of the sleeve 38 ceases, the cam groove 74 controlling the valve 64 opens the valve to the vacuum creating means' and the vacuum chamber of the closin head is at once put i, under vacum exhausting the air from the lcaff"through the aperture a in the can`A.

After the air is exhausted from the can the 'tipping iron 45 is moved into the aperture.

In this figure, a'

The aperture a is provided with a solderv disk d which is at once melted by the iron and as the iron is preferably given a slight rotation, the solder will be caused to close the aperture. As the cross-head 79 is raised the tlppinrr iron is moved out of contact with the sdlder andthe cam 74 is so shaped as to oscillate the valve 64, shut off the vacuum creating means and open the'vacuum chamber to the atmosphere, so that the closing head may be freely raised from contact with the cover or can end. Otherwise, the raising of-the closing head would lift the can. A further upward movement of the cross-head will raisel theclosinghead from contact with the can and permit thesame to be discharged from the machine by the mechanism above described. If there is no can placed Yunder any one of the closing heads, then the rods 56 will not be raised ,and the pipe'61 will be closed tothe vacuum chamber, so that the opening of the pipe/61 to the vacuum creating means will not decrease or destroy the vacuum in the other closing heads.

In Fig. 9 of the drawings, I have shown ia modified form of solder applying means.y

Instead of placing solder in the form of a disk which is attached to the cover or can end, I may provide the wall of the vacuum chamber with a tube 96 which extends to a point adjacent the lower end of the tipping iron and a solder wire 97 may be fed through this tube in any suitable way so as to position the solder in the path of the tipping iron, whereby a portion of solder will be melted by the tipping iron and caused to fill Vthe aperture in the can or container. A suit- Figs. 7 and 8, is of the type wherein a disk c, having an aperture or apertures therein, protects the. vent hole lin the cover or can end through which the air is exhausted. One type of can end` of this character is shown and described in my prior Patent No. 933,103, granted September 7th, 1909.

While I have described a ymachine or apparatus wherein a number of closing vheads are operated simultaneously, it will be understood that the invention from certain aspects thereof may be 'equally applied toa machine wherein the closing heads are operated one after another, orin ,a continuously operating machine instead of an intermittently operating machine.

container, a tipping iron located in said vacuum chamber for closing the aperture, and means for moving said vacuum chamber into and out of contact with the end of the container, said means including devices whereby the tipping ,iron is caused to close the aperture while said vacuum chamber' is in contact With the end of the container.

2. A vacuum sealing apparatus comprising a support for apertured containers, and a closing head adapted to be moved relative to said support, said closing.head including a vacuum chamber adapted to engage the end of the container about the aperture, devices for placing said vacuum chamber under vacuum for exhausting the air from the container, a tipping iron located in said vacuum chamber for closing the aperture, and means for moving said vacuum chamber into and out of contact with the end of the container, said means including devices `whereby the-tipping iron is caused to close the aperture while said vacuum chamber is in contact with the end of the container,

said devices for placing said vacuum chamber under vacuum also operating-to open said vacuum chamber tothe atmosphereafter the tipping iron has closed the aperture and previous to the raising of the vacuum chamber from contact with the end of the container.

' 3. A vacuum sealing apparatus, comprising a support for apertured containers, a closing head adapted to be moved relative to said support, said closing head including a vacuum chamber, devices for placing said vacuum chamber under vacuum and Whereby said vacuum chamber may be opened to the atmosphere previous to the moving of the vacuum chamber out of contact with the end of the container, a tipping iron located in said vacuum chamber, means for moving the tipping iron to close the aperture previous to the opening of the vacuum chamber .to the atmosphere, means for closing the pipe leading from the vacuum creating devices to the vacuum chamber including devices operated by the container for opening said passage.

4. A vacuum sealing apparatus, comprising a support for apertured containers, a plurality of closing heads adapted to be moved relative to said support, each of said closing heads including a vacuum chamber adapted to engage the end of the container about said aperture, means commento the vacuum chambers for placing the same under vacuum, devices for normally closing the passage leading from the vacuum creating means to each vacuum chamber, said devices including means operated by the containers for opening said passages.

5'. A vacuum sealing apparatus, comprising a support for apertured containers and a closing head adapted to be moved relativel to said support, said closing head including a reciprocating rod, a tipping iron carried thereby, a sleeve mounted on said rod and having a vacuum chamber at its lower end, a spring for normally forcing said sleeve downwardly on said rod, a shoulder on the rod for limiting the downward movement of the sleeve, and means for moving said rod .toward and from the container, whereby said sleeve is caused to engage the container about said aperture prior to the engagement of the aperture by the tipping iron, means for placing said chamber under 'vacuum and for opening said chamber to the atmosphere previous to the moving of the vacuum chamber out 0f contact with the end of the containcr and after the aperture has been closed by the tipping iron.

In testimony whereof, ll aiiix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

i EDWIN NORTON.

Witnesses:

GRACE P. BRERETON, Gr. B. WRIGHT. 

